Volunteer Keith Rodger has been applying himself to what is apparently yet one more of many mysteries surrounding ancient peoples. His is the kind of thinking, and experimentation, which archaeologists and historians must do all the time. It makes an interesting read….

I have been thinking about the stone slips, found with numerous skeletons, which are identified as ‘bracers’ used by archers to protect the inside of their wrists from the lash of the bowstring. My wife and I have both been told separately by archers that the bracers will not work because the string will catch behind the near end of the stone. Intrigued and persuaded by their comments, I investigated.

We have seen three designs: one with two holes, one hole at each end, one with six holes, three at each end, both in Salisbury Museum, and at one with four holes two at each end, in Devizes Museum. Internet research revealed similar ‘bracers’ and some with even more holes, some of which were filled with rivets. The only one we have seen that might be in situ is with the “Amesbury Archer”, and that one might be on the outside of his arm and is associated with a large pin. Once again, internet research revealed that others have been found on the outside of the forearm, which is not the place for a wrist guard. From the outside of the display cases, we cannot see any sign of wear around the holes that might have resulted from movement of a cord or thong. One must be careful not to read too much into the position of artefacts in graves. They can be moved and/or they might have been placed in the grave without reference to their function in life. Indeed a second ‘bracer’ is near the ‘Amesbury Archer’s’ feet. The ‘Stonehenge Archer’ might have been buried with his ‘bracer’ in place but his grave had been badly damaged by animals and the photo does not show where the bracer was found.

For a bracer to be effective it must deflect the bowstring without snagging it, as this would cause the archer’s hand to move and spoil his aim. It must be easy to fit single-handedly, be comfortable and non-encumbering.

I have made simulations in wood of both the two and four-holed versions. It is easy to devise suitable means of attachment using a simple loop of string. The four-holed version fitted more snugly to my wrist, snagged the bowstring less frequently and might be a development. Both types protected my wrist effectively, most of the time. However, I still received string lash to my thumb and the fletching cut my top knuckle. If this were my bracer, I would make a better one. In particular, I would want some kind of glove or mitten to protect my thumb and knuckle.

Protection might be provided in numerous ways, e.g. by binding the arm with a leather sheet or sleeve. In this case, the stone slip might have been used as a fastener, rather like a cleat, and/or a spreader/stiffener to stop the leather from creasing. This could explain finding them on the outside of the arm. It might also explain the absence of wear in the holes, since it would be rather static. The Amesbury Archer’s pin might have been part of this fastening. Clearly, the thumb and knuckle guards could be incorporated with the sleeve; this construction would also have helped to keep the sleeve taut.

I have no explanation for the six-holed version, there seems to be no advantage in having the extra hole. However, some multi-hole ‘bracers’ have rivets closing the holes so, maybe, the extra holes were ornamental. Possibly, some ‘bracers’ were purely ornamental; there are examples of such developments, e.g. officers’ epaulets which were once protection from downwards sword cuts.

Clearly, all of this is speculation based on incomplete evidence and looking from outside the display cabinets. Of the various options proposed above, the hand guard plus sleeve with a buckle/tensioner/stiffener seems to give the best design for the equipment and is within the capabilities of Neolithic people. Which raises the question “Why use stone, why not wood?”. I suggest that making a flat wood version rather than using flat slate or similar stone would have been more difficult and a round stick would have got in the way. Of course all of this is speculation and could well be wrong! All we can only ever say is that this or that explanation is consistent with known facts.

For my finial post I have been looking into the Shared Learning Project that Salisbury Museum has been developing with Salisbury and Sarum U3A as part of an initiative to improve intellectual and physical access to the collections in the new HLF archaeology galley. The initial project began in 2011 to develop content for the gallery and finished in June 2013, ready for the building work to begin in October. Salisbury Museum is looking to continue working with the U3A on future projects, and are hoping that some of those who have been involved in developing content will want to get involved with the HLF gallery when it opens in Spring 2014.

“Part of the aim of this project is to develop a longer term relationship with the local U3A – some of the people involved will develop specialist knowledge about the collections so will hopefully go on to steward the gallery once it is open, or undertake guided tours and object handling with visitors. Some of them took part in the decant of the old galleries and will be taking part in other collections projects such as documenting the Pitt-Rivers collection and photographing the collections in preparation for an online database.” – Jane Ellis-Schön, Project Curator.

The Shared Learning project involved 13 U3A Shared Learning volunteers working with Director Adrian Green and Project Curator Jane Ellis-Schön to select and research objects for open storage drawers that will go below the interactive desk stations in the new gallery. The drawers will contain artefacts that cannot be handled because they are too precious, but will provide visitors with greater access to more of the collection. The volunteers were divided into smaller subject study groups based on their interests and given training on object identification and research so that they were able to choose interesting objects to go on display. The topics for the drawers were chosen in consultation with the Project Curator and the U3A Shared Learning volunteers and include Palaeolithic handaxes, Neolithic tool kit, Bronze Age metalwork, Pitt-Rivers, Roman Jewellery, Anglo-Saxon textiles, and Pottery through the ages.

Jean McFarane, who is a member of Sarum U3A, volunteered for the Shared Learning Project because of a long time interest in archaeology. She has said about the project:

“Our U3A was interested in supporting Salisbury Museum and for 18 months we have been working in pairs on aspects of the new gallery. I’m working on the proposed Pitt Rivers Hub. My partner and I have been exploring the collections and store cupboards in order to put together items that will demonstrate Pitt Rivers’ contribution to the world of archaeology as an excavator, scientist, collector and inspector of Ancient Monuments.”– Jean McFarlane, Volunteer.

In July 2014, during the Festival of British Archaeology, the museum will have a weekend event to celebrate the opening of the new gallery. In the new gallery visitors will be able to truly explore the archaeology collection, making their own discoveries as they search through the themed drawers and interactive elements.

As part of the event there will be various activities such as a living history demonstrations (including flint knapping and bronze casting), spot light talks in the gallery, and a series of U3A ‘Tea and Talk’ events to showcase the Shared Learning Project. There will also be stalls and activities led by partner organisations such as the National Trust, Salisbury Cathedral, Young Archaeologist Club and Wessex Archaeology. The celebrations will also be taken out into the community so that people who are unable to access the museum can get involved, with activities taking place in areas such as Bemerton Heath and Amesbury.

With so much going on a Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum next year, be sure to check the website or contact the museum to find out what’s on. And if you would like to get involved in volunteering please get in touch with Bridget Telfer, the Volunteer Coordinator: bridgettelfer@salisburymuseum.org.uk; 01722332151.

Throughout the year Salisbury Museum and a number of volunteers have been busy promoting the museum and publicising the new Wessex gallery at various community events, along with the museum’s own activities programme. I have been talking to a couple of volunteers who have been helping out at various events over the summer, and with Salisbury Museum’s new Volunteer Coordinator Bridget Telfer.

“Salisbury Museum has had a stall at seven different community events across Wiltshire over the summer to help publicise the museum and the new archaeology galleries. These events have been a brilliant way to meet lots of new people and engage them in what the Museum is doing – at most of the events we have had a ‘Guess the mystery object quiz’ which has proved popular with all age ranges (featuring such objects as a Roman roof tile and Roman strigil for scraping oil off the skin) as well as a ‘make and take’ activity for children.”

‘Guess the mystery object quiz’ table

“On 29th and 30th June we had a stall at the Chalke Valley History Festival where on the Sunday we displayed the Scout Car and visitors got a chance to sit in it for a small fee!” – Bridget Telfer, Volunteer Coordinator.

Salisbury Museum stall at the Chalke Valley History Festival

Children taking part in craft activities at the Salisbury Museum stall at the Chalke Valley History Festival.

Director Adrian Green showing a young girl objects from the museum’s collection

As part of the Chalke Valley History Festival Salisbury Museum Director Adrian Green also took part in a discussion of the findings from the ‘Digging for History’ archaeological dig that took place in the Chalke Valley two weeks before the festival. The dig took the form of a series of test pits on the site of a deserted medieval village between the villages of Alvediston and Berwick St John, and was undertaken by a group of leading archaeologists and volunteers from the Chalke Valley. At the festival Adrian and the principle archaeologists discussed the findings, revealing some of the rich history of the Chalke Valley’s past.

You may also have seen the museum’s stall in Salisbury city centre over the summer. The stall proved very successful for getting information to parents about the various family activities that the museum runs during the school holidays and throughout the year for those below school age.

“I spent most of my time accosting mums with young children saying ‘do you know about our under-five Fridays?’, ‘do you know about our children’s activities?’, and just handing out the information to them…[we] got a really good response from most of them. A lot of them didn’t necessarily know [that the museum had regular family activities].” – Mary Crane, Volunteer.

The museum has hosted a wide range of events over the summer holidays for children and families, involving arts and crafts, storytelling, role play and much more! On Wednesday 31st July the museum had two eccentric Victorian antiquarians in the museum on a quest to unravel the mysteries of Stonehenge. Volunteers Emma Mellor and Mary Crane helped out at the event and have been telling me a bit more about it and what they did:

Victorian Ladies from the ‘Wessex Wednesday: Secrets of the Stones’ Event

“There were these two Victorian ladies who turned up and they were basically talking about the archaeology of Stonehenge, but one of them was pretending to be totally ignorant and coming forward with all the outmoded theories that used to be propagated about Stonehenge; the other one was trying to correct her. They did a short talk, just the two of them, almost in conversation, and the one who was wrong was talking to the audience the whole time. It was actually quite funny… At one stage we also had a group with learning disabilities in, and some of them could really see the funny side to it, which was great.”– Mary Crane, Volunteer.

“Depending on who the audience was they had different activities, like measuring with the plumb-bob; [I also helped the smaller children] with colouring; and I did a bit of object handling. [There was also] a memory game where they threw a cover over a selection of archaeologists tools, and then took one away.” – Emma Mellor.

Mary Crane has also been helping out with the museum’s monthly ‘Under 5’s Fridays’ activities, which are craft based sessions for under-fives and their parents or carers.

“They made a big treasure chest and [the children and parents] made precious objects to put in it. So they were using cut up straws to make necklaces and bracelets, and they were using aluminium foil to make little goblets…There was some rather nice tubes to make telescopes. It was just a craft morning really. But of course what comes out of it is all the chat around what they’re doing…It’s a way of getting people into the museum, and feeling at home in the museum as much as anything really.” – Mary Crane, Volunteer.

The ‘Under-5’s Fridays’ run throughout the year and offer parents, grandparents or carers looking after young children an opportunity to chat with other mums and dads and do fun activities with their little ones. To find out more about the various activities and events on offer go to the ‘What’s On’ page at the Salisbury Museum website – http://www.salisburymuseum.org.uk/whats-on.

In my last post I talked a bit about the background to the new Wessex Gallery and how this fits into The Master Plan to reposition Salisbury Museum as a ‘Discovery Museum’ – allowing visitors of all learning levels, from primary school to post-graduate, a chance to explore the collections and engage with the story of Salisbury. The archaeology collections are very much at the heart of the museum and through those collections Salisbury Museum is able to tell a story of international significance.

Plans to update the museum have not been limited to the physical transformation of the galleries. The collections are also due to become publically accessible online. This will greatly increase access to the collections – making them viewable to people unable to visit the museum, and facilitate new research.

Museum staff and volunteers are working hard to check that all the information about the artefacts on the database is present and accurate. As you can image this is no small feat! There are over 111,000 entries listed on the collections database – and one entry may refer to a box of several hundred artefacts! The digitised databases represent just a fraction of the museum’s collections, which is in its millions. Artefacts are always being added to the database (and to the collections), so there is lots of hard work to do in the future.

North Porch of Salisbury Cathedral by J M W Turner from the Art Collection

In order to better understand the collections database and the work that volunteers have been doing I have been speaking to the Documentation Officer Stefanie Vincent, who is overseeing the project.

Documentation Officer Stefanie Vincent during the demolition of the old archaeology galleries

“Salisbury Museum uses a collections management database (MODES), which allows us to record a wide range of detail about our objects. Along with information about the origin of an object we can also record details including its location, research it has been used in and any conservation work carried out on it. At the moment MODES is only used in-house, however we are enhancing the information in preparation for allowing online access to the database. This access will allow the public to browse our collection and identify objects of interest, before they visit the museum and allow people who do not have the opportunity to visit the chance to see our objects. The service will also be of use to researchers wishing to locate relevant objects for their research.

We are focusing first on [the archaeological] objects which will appear in the new gallery; this will allow visitors to get a taste of what will be on display prior to their visit and give us a chance to photograph and collect data on the objects before they go into their [new] cases. In the future we will photograph and update the entries of objects which we do not have space to display, allowing the public access to items which cannot normally be seen.

In order to place our collection online the museum is updating to a new version of the MODES software and a small team of staff and volunteers have been working on the transfer of data. Once we have upgraded to our new programme this team will be enlarged by [further] volunteers [who will help] us to update our entries.” – Stefanie Vincent, Documentation Officer.

I have also been talking to David Chilton, who has been a collections volunteer at Salisbury Museum for about six years. Due to his working knowledge of MODES, he has been assisting Stef with the transfer to the new version (MODES Complete). David has also been coordinating four other volunteers working with the museum’s image collection. He and his fellow volunteers have been working hard to incorporate a paper catalogue of images into the MODES database – so far they have recorded some 20,000 items. While David’s work relates to the whole of the museum’s collection, he did highlight how the Images project compliments the redevelopment of the archaeology galleries:

“There are thousands of images relating to the archaeology of South Wiltshire in the Archaeology Archive and several hundred photographs relating to General Pitt-Rivers. Making these available through a MODES database will provide the Museum with an opportunity to increase the availability of information to the general public.” – David Chilton, Collections Volunteer.

He also told me what he has enjoyed most about the Images project:

“My primary enjoyment has been to see the image archive transform from a scattered collection of objects, recorded on paper, into a centralised, purpose built archive with information in an easily accessible database. Through this work I have had pleasure enabling others to join in and gain their own experience and satisfaction in helping to make this important element of the Museum’s collection move towards being made available to the public.” – David Chilton, Collections Volunteer.

Having collections that will be accessible online is a major step to broadening access and reaching wider audiences. It could also lead to more institutions loaning artefacts from Salisbury Museum in the future, further raising the profile of the museum and ensuring its collections are used for enjoyment and education by even more people.

In this post I thought I should give a little bit of background into the redevelopment of the archaeology galleries and how it fits into the future of the museum. In a previous post I mentioned that the new Wessex Gallery is the first part of a major redevelopment that will eventually see Salisbury Museum transformed. Salisbury Museum will be gradually updating all of their galleries and improving accessibility, over the next ten to fifteen years.

The redevelopment of the museum as a whole has been in the planning for several years and the archaeology galleries (with their designated collections of outstanding national importance) were quickly identified as a key area for updating. In 2008, when the process began, it was common knowledge among museum staff and the board of trustees that the archaeology galleries were out of date in terms of academic information and appearance.

Display case from the Pitt Rivers Gallery

Remains and pot from a beaker burial displayed in the old Pitt Rivers Gallery.

Early Man Gallery in the mid-80s

Both The Early Man Gallery and The Pitt Rivers Gallery had been designed in the 1970s by Robin Wade and Pat Read. Although innovative at the time of construction, the galleries had become oppressive, confusing, and inaccessible to many visitors. The colours in the galleries were dark, and the materials were looking worn. They were perceived as a space reserved for academic intrigue and enquiry, rather than a place of interest and enjoyment for all types of audiences – which the new archaeology gallery aims to be!

In contrast, The Stonehenge Gallery that was designed in 2001 took a less academic approach. The target audience of the gallery was families, and displays included a number of interactives that had become worn, outdated or broken.

Display in Stonehenge Gallery

‘The Changing Faces of Stonehenge’ in the Stonehenge Gallery

The differences in approach between the three galleries were confusing to visitors. People frequently missed viewing parts of the museum’s collections because displays were either thought too academic or too family orientated.

The new Wessex Gallery (which replaces these three previous galleries) is due to open late Spring 2014 and will become a space of discovery and investigation for all visitors, both young and old. Visitors will discover Anglo-Saxons, Romans, the beaker people and those who lived during the creation of Stonehenge as they are taken back through time, starting with William the Conqueror at Old Sarum and ending in the deep prehistory of Wessex.

Salisbury Museum has been working in partnership with English Heritage and Wiltshire Heritage Museum to develop an integrated approach to the interpretation of Stonehenge. Whether visiting the new Stonehenge Visitor Centre, Wiltshire Heritage Museum in Devizes, or Salisbury Museum, visitors will discover a different aspect of Stonehenge.

The creation of the new archaeology gallery was made possible by a grant of nearly £1.8 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). The total cost for the new gallery will be £2.4 million. The remaining funds have been raised through grants and donations from trusts and foundations, including major grants from English Heritage, the Linbury Trust, DCMS/Wolfson Fund, and the Garfield Weston Foundation – a complete list of funders can be found on the museum’s website: (http://www.salisburymuseum.org.uk/about-us/archaeology-wessex-gallery).

Since my Last post I have been delving into the paper work concerning the new Wessex Gallery and speaking to project staff and volunteers. The main aim of this blog is to keep you all informed and updated about what is happening with the new gallery, and tell you about the hard work that has been put into this major redevelopment project by volunteers.

Anyone who has visited the museum recently may have noticed that the left wing, where the archaeology galleries used to be, is now a big empty space with seemingly not much happening in it! It was essential to empty the galleries as early as possible (removing both artefacts and cases) in order to get exact measurements for the designers (Metaphor) to work with. The overall structure of the new gallery design is now fixed, and Director Adrian Green and Project Curator Jane Ellis-Schön are busy finialising content. The final piece of the jigsaw is about to fall into place – the project went out to tender for the main building contractor in July. They will be appointed mid-late September to begin work on the site in October.

One of the biggest tasks connected to the development of the new archaeology gallery has been the decanting of the objects from the old galleries. I mentioned in my previous post that the decanting took 39 volunteers 827 hours to wrap, pack and record 3,200 archaeological artefacts! The decanting began in March and was completed in May 2013.

Volunteers working in pairs to record and pack objects from the old archaeology galleries

Staff packing pottery from the old archaeology galleries

Objects packed ready to go into temporary storage

The gutted galleries

The decanting needed to take place before the all-important ‘Refurbishment & Demolition Asbestos Survey’ could be carried out. For Project Manager Ellie Collier finding asbestos in the galleries was one of her biggest concerns, “This is the only project I’ve done where we haven’t had a six figure sum asbestos removal – we were so lucky!”

Having such a large volunteer team working on a task of this magnitude had never been done before at Salisbury Museum. Volunteers received training in how to handle objects and were given instructions on how each artefact should be wrapped, recorded and packed away. It was important that volunteers knew what materials they needed to use when wrapping certain objects. Many items in the collection require specific materials such as acid-free tissue paper or specialist foam sheeting in order conserve them properly.

Several volunteers involved in the decanting of the old galleries have been talking to Curatorial Intern Matthew Ferguson and me about why they chose to get involved and how they found the experience. Here is just a few of the things they had to say…

Why did you volunteer for the HLF Archaeology of Wessex Gallery?

“It is a very exciting project and decanting gave me an opportunity to hold objects, understand more about them and learn about their conservation and storage.” – David Balston, Volunteer and Trustee of Salisbury Museum.

“[I wanted] to be more involved in a major project and gain more knowledge about the collection.” – Martin Callow, Volunteer and museum employee.

“Volunteering for this project was an easy step for me as the many skills gained through my working life and through my more recent studies [in archaeology at Bristol University as a mature student] would all be put to good use.” – Phillip Shukman, Volunteer.

What has been your favourite experience on the project so far?

“Perhaps the highlights have been looking at the artefacts really closely and handling them, particularly the prehistoric items…a further highlight has been seeing the accurate recording and labelling attached to the artefacts by General Pitt Rivers (or probably his staff!) after excavation during the 1880s.” – Sue Martin, Volunteer.

“Handling the objects and understanding the needs of different materials to be used to pack different types of objects.” – Heather Balston, Volunteer.

“Meeting other volunteers, seeing their enthusiasm and watching the galleries empty faster than I would have thought possible.” – David Balston, Volunteer and Trustee of Salisbury Museum.

You can find out more about the volunteers’ work at Salisbury Museum and learn how you pack archaeological artefacts in the Museum’s current temporary exhibition ‘Watch This Space!’, which runs until 18 January 2014.

If you would like to hear more about volunteering at the museum you can watch short video interviews with volunteers Ruth Wills and Liz Kemp on YouTube. The interviews were conducted by Volunteer Centre Wiltshire to celebrate Volunteer Week 2013. Both Ruth and Liz have been involved with the redevelopment. (Ruth’s interview http://youtu.be/3fIft8cPWN0) (Liz’s interview http://youtu.be/GpLsfIoxoYg).

Hello! My name is Lisette. I am a new volunteer here at Salisbury Museum, and I have been asked to contribute to the museum’s new blog. I thought I’d begin my first post by telling you a little bit about myself and what I am going to be doing at the museum.

I am a postgraduate student at the University of Leicester, where I am currently studying for my MA in Museum Studies. As part of my course I am on a two month curatorial internship at Salisbury Museum, where I will be helping to curate the next temporary exhibition, and keeping you all updated on developments at the museum via this blog!

I have joined the museum at a very exciting time. Salisbury Museum was recently awarded £1.8 million by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) towards the development of a new archaeology gallery. The museum’s collections include some of the most significant archaeological finds in Britain, including artefacts from the Stonehenge World Heritage Site, the Pitt Rivers Wessex collection, and the Amesbury Archer. The new gallery will reveal treasures from deep prehistory up until 1220, and unearth the stories of the archaeologists that discovered them. The gallery will enable visitors to discover important artefacts that the museum has previously been unable to display due to a lack of space and security, and to rediscover old favourites from the collection. The development of the new gallery is the first part of an ambitious Master Plan that will see the museum completely overhauled, and displays brought into the 21st Century. The new gallery is set to open in Spring 2014.

As some of you who have recently visited the museum may know, the archaeology collections are currently packed away while the new gallery is being built. In total 3,200 objects were packed away with the help of 39 volunteers who contributed a staggering 827 hours of their time – but more about that in my next post.

The temporary exhibition that I am helping to curate will reveal the process of developing this new archaeology gallery, offering the viewer a chance to discover a little more about the inner workings of the museum. Visitors will also get a chance to see some of the project staff’s favourite objects from the archaeology collections and discover why they chose them. The temporary exhibition can be viewed at the museum between 12th October – 18th January 2014.

Having arrived at the museum in the middle of this mammoth project, it was thought that it might be fun for me to catch up on everything that has been happening via a blog. In the coming weeks I will be talking to staff and volunteers about the various stages of this exciting project to redevelop Salisbury Museum!